BBC Children’s, Education hires Bidaya Media’s Ulkutay Eris as head of business

UK pubcaster the BBC has hired Tulin Ulkutay Eris as head of business for BBC Children’s & Education.

Tulin Ulkutay Eris

Joining in September, Ulkutay Eris will be responsible for overseeing the Children’s & Education business and commercial strategy, with a particular focus on increasing the value to audiences and return of investments.

She will oversee Children’s & Education departmental budgets and lead the department’s production management and operations teams.

Ulkutay Eris’ experience covers both the commercial and creative sides of the children’s media industry. She specialises in global children’s IPs and character brands and their regional positioning, strategy, management and monetisation through licensing, distribution, marketing and sales across traditional and digital platforms.

The exec’s career began in advertising at McCann Erickson, before moving into licensing and entertainment when she joined London-based family business Ulkutay Creative. There she worked with clients including Disney, Warner Bros, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Lego, the BBC and Hasbro.

She was also senior creative producer at Cartoon Network Studios in Abu Dhabi, helping to create original content for the Middle Eastern, North African and Turkish regions. She executive produced local Turkish Cartoon Network animated series Kral Sakir for four seasons, which became the number one rated show on Cartoon Network in the region.

Ulkutay Eris is currently commercial director at Bidaya Media, a children’s content production company in MENA best known for producing Sesame Street and Mansour in the region. She is responsible for all commercial initiatives such as licensing and merchandising, distribution and syndication, events, outreach and across digital platforms.